The Papanicolaou test (“Pap” test or “Pap smear”) has proven to be valuable in the early detection of cervical pre-cancerous and cancerous growths. The Pap test refers to the collection of cells from the cervical face, the endocervical canal, and occasionally from the vaginal wall.
The cells are collected with a sampling device. Suitable sampling devices include sampling brushes sold under the trademark Cervex-Brush® available from Rovers® medical and those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/588,120. The sampling devices are provided with a detachable swab that is removed from the sampling device after cell collection. For example, a physician or other clinician takes a cell sample from the patient with the swab, which is sent to a lab for analysis, and discards the remaining part of the sampling device.
After cell collection, the swab portion of the sampling device is deposited into a container holding preservation liquid. The collected cells are thus dispersed in the preservation liquid. One suitable container is provided in the SurePath™ liquid-based Pap test system available from Becton Dickinson of Franklin Lakes, N.J. The cells are preserved, and subsequently randomized, enriched with diagnostic material, pipetted, stained, and ultimately prepared (e.g., smeared) on a microscope slide for visualization of epithelial and other diagnostically relevant cells.
Depositing the swab into the container without splashing the cells/preservation liquid can be challenging. For example, conventional gynecological sampling jars include some form of a cover (e.g., a screw-on cover or the like) that fits on the container holding the preservation liquid. The cover is removed to access the preservation liquid, which can result in undesirable splashing/spilling of the liquid when introducing the swab portion to the container.
In particular, some sampling devices are designed to have the swab separated from a handle portion by snapping the swab off at a break line formed on the handle. Snapping the swab off is best accomplished using two hands, and is it possible to bump the container and spill the liquid when separating the swab from the handle. Other sampling devices are designed with a broom-style swab that slides off of a distal end of the handle portion. In any regard, depositing the swab into the container of preservation liquid can cause splashes, which undesirably has the potential to both diminish the volume of the collected sample and pose an infection risk to the healthcare worker.
Pap tests have proven to be useful in the early detection of malignant cells and are related to a reduction in the incidence and death rate due to cervical cancers. Improvements in the collection of cells during Pap tests will be welcomed by the medical community and patients alike.